Page 64 of Bad Boy
I take the hint and drop the conversation. We have a full day of hiking and collecting the remaining leaves ahead of us. Tomorrow we turn in all of our samples before heading home. This is our last chance to find everything, and I am once again chomping at the bit to get started.
* * *
The rest of the afternoon and evening went by quickly and without any Connorsightings. We crossed paths with Gus and some other classmates a couple times, but other than that, we were mostly alone. Even snuck in a few stolen kisses.
The lodge cooked a massive farewell dinner for us, grilling out steaks, chicken, and baked potatoes. Other than a few glares that Remi wasn’t fazed by, Connor stayed in his corner of the large cafeteria-like room.
After dinner, we spent a couple hours making out and messing around. Remi needs to recover before we have sex again. I’m a little concerned that his discomfort might affect his fighting ability, but he insists it’s nothing. And all I can do is take his word for it and help him in other ways, like the two blow jobs since dinner.
It’s nine-fifteen now, and Remi is getting ready to leave our cabin. I’m a little upset that he still insists I can’t go.
“I’m going to take a shower. I don’t know why, but it’s a pre-fight ritual I have to do.” He leans in, kissing me slow and deep and spearing his tongue into my mouth, tasting me everywhere. Like he’s claiming his prize, and maybe I really am his prize. He is fighting because of me, after all. The thought makes me somber for a moment, wishing I could be there for him. Wishing he’d let me.
The kiss continues for seconds. Minutes. I’m not sure which, but I’m panting. He leaves me breathless and dizzy, stealing every exhale from my lungs with his greedy mouth.
I grasp onto his hard biceps as he pulls away. “I’m going to lie down now,” I murmur, and his sensual chuckle washes over me, warming my blood.
“Go to sleep, baby. By the time you wake up, I’ll be climbing safely into bed next to you. You have nothing to worry about. I won’t bother you before I leave, so just go pass out.”
I nod, but he’s wrong. I have everything to worry about when he’s out there all alone.Fighting.
He gives me one more sweet little peck, and I amble toward the stairs like a zombie.
In bed alone, I listen to the sounds of water running through the pipes from the shower, and worry seeps into my skin deeper and deeper with each passing moment.
My earlier sleepiness vanishes as a reckless and completely-unlike-me plan pops into my head. I whip the covers back before I lose the courage to follow through and change my mind. Grabbing my dark jeans and one of Remi’s black hoodies, I dig through my bag until I find my black beanie and pull it low, going full incognito. I stuff a few pillows under the covers and fluff them up, just in case.
What? I’ve never snuck out before.
I tip-toe down the stairs, my socks silent on each step. Even though I know he’s still in the shower, I want to be extra careful. My black boots sit neatly by the front door next to Remi’s, and I slip them on, completing my all-black super spy look.
I grab my key for the cabin and Remi’s big keychain, careful not to rattle it. Silently unlocking his SUV, I set them back down on the little wooden table by the front door and slip out undetected. Key in hand, I quickly lock the cabin, tucking it deep into my boot so I won’t lose it, and climb into the trunk of the SUV.
My eyes search for cover, but there’s nothing in here. Our stuff is inside, and since this isn’t even technically Remi’s car, it’s clean and free of clutter. I doubt Mr. Keller has even driven it. Probably just Clifford.
With no other option, I curl into the tiniest ball I can manage, pressing myself against the back seat. All I can do is hope Remi won’t notice since the windows are tinted black. By the time we get to the barn, it will be too late to turn back. I can ask for forgiveness later. If he’s fighting because of me, I need to be there to make sure he’s okay.
Because friends should always be there for friends.Just in case.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
REMI
My nerves are ablaze, and adrenaline pumps through my veins, leaving me a little jittery. Not to mention the energy drink I chugged before leaving the cabin. I pop another piece of gum into my mouth and tap my fingers anxiously on the wheel as I navigate to the neighborhood behind the old barn Gus told me about.
Under normal circumstances, I would never blindly follow directions from someone I don’t know to a fight location that I also know nothing about.
God. If Hydro knew, he’d roast me for being a dumbass.
But this kid goes to the same rich-ass private school as me, and he doesn’t seem like a bad guy. Not like his little puppy dog bitch, Connor. Brandon, too.
Money and the need for revenge drive me harder than any common sense. Gus had the chance to jump me back on the trail when he caught me off guard and snatched me up like a punk-ass kid. I believe him when he says they have rules. If they fight at school, they risk their futures. So even though my future after school isn’t planned out, and I have no clue what I want to do, I can respect that he has a dream.
Besides, this fight is exactly what I was looking for, and it practically fell into my lap. Just like Lincoln. With each passing day, it feels more and more right to be here in Hunter Springs. Like it’s where I should have been all along. My entire fucking life.
Siri tells me I have arrived at my destination. I continue down the silent street until I find a darkened strip of houses where either no one’s home or everyone’s gone to sleep. I park on the street between two box-like houses where all exterior lights have been turned off. Only the silver glow of moonlight illuminates their small size and the looming forest beyond.
Before getting out of the car, I spit the giant wad of gum into an empty can in my cup holder. There’s always a low level of anxiety humming under the surface on fight nights. No matter how confident I feel.
